My wife and I will be traveling to Venice, Cinque Terre, Florence and Rome next week. We have read suitcases are difficult to deal with (cobble sidewalks, etc.) in Italy. We don't plan on doing any hiking and will be taking the train for transportation. We will stay in four hotels for 2-3 nights each. Is it worth packing much lighter to take only backpacks, or should we be okay with small, carry-on size suitcases? I have one large backpack, and one small one. Thanks in advance.

There was a recent thread on this question. Search on "backpack" and it will show up.

My experience is that small rolling suitcases are not much of a problem, even on cobbles. And since it's small you won't have trouble getting it up stairs and over bridges (say, in Venice). Even my kids can handle one of these, so you'll have no trouble.

Backpacks present packing issues (depending on the design of the pack), so a hassle for frequent re-packing.

Get one of the bags that use inline roller skate wheels positioned at the corners. Amoung other places Costco sells good bags.

Back packs don't appeal to me at all. I've done fine, even solo, with wheeled suitcases, though you have to be able to lift it occasionally: on stairs, onto overhead luggage racks.
I don't want to wear my luggage, I just have to be able to manage it on the ground.

If you just have to get your suitcase from a train station into town, cobbles shouldn't be that much of an issue in 3 of your places; I can't speak to CT.

My wife and I just returned from 3 weeks in Italy using just backpacks. For train travel they can't be beat. Look for a pack made by Eagle Creek, they can usually be found at REI or online. We can fit more items in a backpack than a 22" roller case.

Also, there are a lot of stairs in Italy. Backpacks are a lot easier to deal with. Mine has a zip off day pack. This comes in handy when you get to your hotel and want to walk to sites. I just load the camera, a couple bottles of water and maybe a snack and we're good to go. I also keep aspirin, kleenex, and other small neccessary items in it.

I'm not a backpack person nor can I pack for 2-3 weeks in a carry-on (I know that is a character flaw). I've never had a problem with a 24 inch wheeled suitcase in any of the locations you mention.
Have a great trip!

James- go for the wheels... trust me.
Fluffy

Done both. IMO, the real test is not getting to the hotel but after you get to the hotel. In every situation I have been in, getting to a hotel with a roller or a pack will work. Face it, we're probably only talking about 10 minutes. However, I do come down in favor of a roller after I get to my room. Because they do have s rigid shape, I feel it much easier to find what you are looking for, re pack etc. I have only had a couple of situations where I was glad I had used a backpack. If you are in urban areas and not of the mind to spend a bit for a bus or a cab, I'd go backpack and good shoes. Other than that, take the roller and relax.

HOw does anyone travel with all their gear in a packback? It's not the clothes that take up room it is all the other stuff. I suppose if you are camping then a backpack is what you need. Don't you do a lot of laundry when you only bring a back pack? I salute those who can do it. I find a small suitcase with wheels and one carry one is the best I can do. Shar

A small backpack revolutionized my last trip to Italy. Could hop off the train at small places like Pisa where there's no longer luggage storage for a quick look around. Could easily cope with airport busses, ferries, stairs, long walks to hotel. Used some rare self service laundries that turned out to be unexpectedly fun adventures.

I'd watch out with the backpack if you aren't used to wearing one. I used one during a month long trip around europe while I was in college. I must have been used to wearing a backpack and carrying heavy books. tried one recently (i don't regularly use a back pack for anything) and found it really uncomfortable.

HUGE WORD OF ADVICE---BACKPACK. My wife and I are going on a 10-day trip to Italy, France, Switzerland in 6 weeks and we are only taking a backpack. We found one at REI which is perfect. It is 2 backpacks-in-one. A larger backpack for most of your goods and a smaller detachable backpack to carry around. It also has rollers on the bottom and a pullup handle to pull it on the ground thru the airports. It is PERFECT for travelling. You can look them up on REI.com.

Personally my choice is a 22-24" rolling suitcase packed light enough that you can carry it if need be.

My second choice (that I used before discovering wheels) was a medium duffle bag with a shoulder strap.

We've never had a problem with suitcases, but then we don't tend to walk very far with our luggage. We normally use buses, trains, taxis, etc., and suitcases seem to work just fine.

I carry a student sized knapsack and a 22 inch cargo bag (duffel looking thing but with two pockets either end.) Cargo bag has a shoulder strap, and a middle compartment big enough to tuck in a portable luggage cart if I think the extra weight of it will be justified by the use I'll put to it. (This is my main grievance with roller bags, you are stuck with the 4 to 8 pounds extra weight no matter what. Which is a consideration if you are packing only 12-15 pounds in the bag to begin with.) I can also carry the cargo bag in such a way that I can slip one forearm through the handles, so that less weight is distributed to my shoulder.

In CT, Florence, and Rome, I used the luggage cart just fine, so you should be okay with the small roller carry-on. Just be sure it isn't so heavy that you can't lug it up the stairs of your hotel, say, or lift it onto an overhead train rack.

For my trip to Italy I bought a backpack that packs like a suitcase and has wheels like a suitcase. I found this most helpful in getting on and off trains, as I strapped it on and climbed onto the train. Columbia makes this bag, which also has a smaller backpack for day trips, which zippers on. In total I think it's 90 liters, which is huge. After my experience climbing the stairs in Madrid's metro with a suitcase, I swore I'd be better prepared next time, and I was!